


Lifeline

by iPumperdiddle



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Artist Credence, Awkward Newt Scamander, Character Development, Childhood Trauma, Credence Barebone Heals, Credence Barebone Learning Magic, Credence Barebone Lives, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Past Abuse, Protective Newt Scamander, Scars, Self Confidence Issues, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 23:58:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11428944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iPumperdiddle/pseuds/iPumperdiddle
Summary: Darkness. That was all Credence had ever known.That darkness came in many forms during his life, from it's shadows encasing his Ma's eyes and tugging down the corner of her lips as she extended a hand in wait for his leather belt to the feeling of absolute hopelessness that blanketed his shaking form at night as he lay with glazed, almost vacant eyes at his ceiling, trying desperately to escape the sharp throbbing that radiated from his back. Darkness was all he had ever had. It seemed that somehow the external shadow had begun to penetrate him over time, taking refuge and coiling tightly deep within him. With every beating and cruel word that dark cloud grew thicker, more persistent, until Credence could feel it fully consume him.(This work takes place shortly after the happenings in the subway during FBAWTFT... Newt discovers that Credence is alive and takes him under his wing. Credence has a lot of healing to do, and maybe Newt is the perfect person to help him.)





	Lifeline

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I wanted to take a moment to thank everybody reading my work. This is the first bit of fan fiction I've written in almost 8 years so please forgive me if it's on the rusty side. Hopefully it will come a lot easier to me as I continue to write it. Thank you again for taking the time to give my work a look, it means so much to me!

Darkness. That was all Credence had ever known.

That darkness came in many forms during his life, from it's shadows encasing his Ma's eyes and tugging down the corner of her lips as she extended a hand in wait for his leather belt to the feeling of absolute hopelessness that blanketed his shaking form at night as he lay with glazed, almost vacant eyes at his ceiling trying desperately to mentally escape the sharp throbbing that radiated from his back. Darkness was all he had ever had. It seemed that somehow the external shadow had begun to penetrate him over time, taking refuge and coiling tightly deep within him. With every beating and cruel word that dark cloud grew thicker, more persistent, until Credence could feel it fully consume him. 

There had been screams. Oh, and how terribly haunting those screams had been that they threatened to break his spirit more than anything this world could possibly throw at him. This was because Credence had an idea that he had been the cause. Just the thought of it had sent the young man into hysterics as he tried to convince himself on numerous occasions that it wasn't true, that maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him. That maybe the black mass which seemed to envelop his body was only trying to push Credence further down towards the raging hell-fires below. Where he deserved to burn.

Tragically, that hadn't been the case.

Credence could vaguely recall running through the tunnel as blasts of lights flew back and forth behind him like out of control fireworks and-

...Mr. Graves.

Credence's foggy thoughts shuffled suddenly through myriads of negative emotions at the recollection. Betrayal. Sorrow. Rage.  
'I had trusted him!' Credence's subconscious lashed out, feeling a minuscule wave of darkness ripple weakly somewhere in his mind. 'I thought he was my friend. I thought he was different but... but he lied to me!!' Turmoil shot through Credence as he mentally screamed, feeling the dark tethers within his mind strengthen and begin to flail and slash and grip at him, yanking him deeper into the abyss of his subconscious with no hope of escape... 

"Credence" The voice was muffled, as if his head were submerged beneath water. There was a shocking tone of worry to the voice as it tried again, this time just the tiniest bit more audible . 

"Credence, if you can hear me-" 

The words seemed to be a glowing lifeline thrown into his sea of darkness, beckoning him to grab hold. A beacon of hope that Credence had not originally thought possible seeing as he had been trapped inside his mind for what felt like an eternity. A punishment he felt was fitting for such a filthy, wicked person like himself. Regardless, Credence had no plans to let that light sink. With every ounce of strength that he could muster Credence began to pull against the tendrils that were digging into him. He thrashed and jerked himself in an attempt to break free from the hold, reaching with all of his might towards that beautiful beacon. He could almost feel the warmth washing over him. 

"Please Credence, I know that you can fight it. You are so very strong... hold on-" The voice was increasing in volume the closer he came and the light was growing positively brighter. He was almost there! The mass that had wrapped itself possessively around Credence began to slack, like smoke being blown away by a gentle breeze. With the darkness peeling back Credence stole the opportunity and leaped away from the black hole that had imprisoned him towards the now blinding light, feeling faint as it swallowed him. 

After the glare sucked him in, Credence was met on the other side with a soft, jovial sigh. His physical senses slowly came back to him like blood flow to a numb, tingling limb and his vision returned through a pinpoint of a tunnel, bathing him with beautiful sight after all of the oppressing darkness. 

"Credence." 

Never before had he heard his name uttered so gently, lacking the vehement disgust he had been so used to day in and day out. The lifeline belonged to an auburn haired man with soft green eyes that was leaning over him, an expression of relief washing over his face. The man's lips blossomed into a warm, crooked smile as he glanced down at Credence. 

"I knew you could do it." His accented voice assured. The man's hands had been pressed lightly on either side of the dark haired man's face, Credence realized with an involuntary flinch, when he finally settled back into reality. The former seemed to notice this, withdrawing his hands and giving Credence a bit more space. 

Credence blinked rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the picture before them. He looked from the man seated beside him to the room that they were in. It was a small area clustered wall to wall with the likes of books, papers and several odd looking plants...some of which seemed to be moving on their own. It appeared to be a shack of sorts and although it was full of many objects and worn pieces of furniture, he thought that it looked cozy. Safe. The dark haired youth was lying on a bed that was set off in a corner of the shack. There was a curtain that was pulled back to the side a little ways from them that Credence suppose acted as a makeshift divider for a bedroom. Peeking down at himself revealed that he was tucked snugly beneath a beige blanket, almost lovingly, Credence noted with a tiny prick of emotion. After soaking in the environment he was currently situated in, Credence returned his eyes to the man who had been observing him in curious silence. His green eyes cast away subtly as they made contact, their gaze flickering to the wall behind Credence's head. 

"Y-you... you were in the subway." Credence whispered, his voice raspy from lack of use. His mind had flashed a vague, fuzzy memory of the auburn haired man attempting to coax him in the tunnel when, just as suddenly as the image had appeared, it left him. The man with gentle eyes turned back to Credence briefly with an unreadable expression before retreating them back to the wall. 

"I was," he confirmed. 

Credence must have looked muddled because the man quickly followed up with, "You must have many questions." 

The dark haired man nodded timidly, unsure of how to put his thoughts into words. "Before we continue this conversation, how about I bring you something to eat? I imagine you're rather hungry." 

Credence was about to decline the offer when, as if on cue, his stomach growled traitorously. He hadn't realized just how famished he was. The corner of the auburn haired man's lip twitched into a half smirk at the sound. 

"Right then," he stood suddenly and made his way across the room before pausing to call over his shoulder when he heard the bed croak. "No no, you stay there and rest, I will be right back." 

Credence prepared to protest when from across the room he watched in wonder as the man pulled a wand from somewhere on his person and flicked his wrist causing a rust-colored kettle to be lifted into the air on it's own before gracefully gliding over to rest upon a small stove.  
Whoosh. Another flick brought to life a flame beneath the boiler. Once more it was done and this time Credence stared with an open mouth as two cups floated down from a cupboard to join a sugar bowl and milk pitcher on a wooden tray. The man shuffled back and forth between the tray and a large pot beside the kettle to give it's contents a brief stir. Credence sat up a bit as the smell wafted from the pot and tickled his nose. He could identify the scent of bacon, potatoes, and onions, drawing another deep rumble from his stomach. It smelt divine. 

The kettle on the stove gave a shrill crescendo before levitating over to the tray to pour steaming water into each cup. When they had been filled the kettle returned to the stove top just as the fire it had been sitting on died out. The auburn haired man ladled a healthy portion of the savory smelling mixture into a bowl before, once again, flicking the wand so that the tray obediently lifted to follow his as he returned to sit beside Credence. The man silently directed the tray to place itself on the table next to the bed before putting his wand away, picking up one of the cups and offering it to Credence. Just as he was about to hand it over he paused. "Oh how silly of me, Do you take sugar and milk with your tea?" 

Credence blinked before lowering his head slightly, avoiding the others eyes. "I... I'm not sure." 

The man made a humming noise and looked to the cup that he was holding and then back to Credence. "I should very much like you to try it the way that I prefer.. and if you don't like it I shall make you another, is that alright?" 

Credence nodded quietly. Even if it turned out to be something that he didn't care for, he would drink it. After all, the man had been kind enough to make it for him, with magic no less, and Ma had always told him that ingratitude was a sin. _Ma._ Credence flinched as memories of their last interaction flashed unexpectedly through his mind. Swallowing hard against a lump that had formed in his throat he quickly forced the thoughts away, feeling as though he might have an anxiety attack if he continued to dwell upon them. To prevent their return Credence shifted his attention back to his company as the man began to prepare the tea. A spoonful of sugar and quick splash of milk later the cup was presented with a bewitched spoon stirring everything together. Credence murmured a soft thank you, cradling the warmth into his hands. The man watched expectantly as the other brought the brim to his mouth for an experimental sip before pulling the beverage away. It was mildly sweetened with only the faintest hint of milk so that the tea's flavor was not masked. With a soft hum Credence found that he enjoyed it greatly and brought the cup back in for a much longer sip which resulted in a soft slurping sound followed by an embarrassed apology. The man only grinned bashfully. "I'll take that as a compliment." 

Credence sipped peacefully, each round of liquid held captive in his mouth for a moment before swallowing, relishing the unique flavor that blanketed his tongue and the lovely after-taste that followed. He had never had tea before as it was considered a luxury in the Barebone household. He never sampled many things in his life, come to think of it- 

"Here we are." Credence was jolted from his thoughts when the other spoke up. He lifted his eyes to see that the bowl was being offered to him. 

"Thank you." Credence accepted the meal just as his stomach became vocal once more. It was soup, and it was causing his mouth to water profusely. "Creamy potato soup," the man said. "An old family recipe, although I'm afraid I don't do it enough justice." He sipped his own tea before continuing. "I never have been much of a cook." 

The man must be extremely modest because when Credence scooped a spoonful into his mouth he almost moaned out loud at the exquisite burst of flavor. "It's delicious, thank you." He managed before taking one bite after another. Before he knew it the bowl had been scrapped clean and he felt slightly embarrassed for practically inhaling his food. The auburn haired man sat his tea down. "How about another serving? There is plenty." 

"Oh, no thank you... that was enough." Credence lied, fidgeting the spoon back and forth inside the empty dish. The man eyed him for what felt like an eternity before gently taking the bowl from Credence and walking over to the stove top where he ladled out another generous helping. He returned promptly and held it out for the dark haired man, who hesitated a moment before taking it. 

"I know you're still hungry, mate. After being unconscious for five days, there's no way you couldn't be." 

Credence gawked . "I was only out for five days?" 

"How long did you think you were?" The man questioned with a finger pressed to his lip. 

"Years." Credence whispered shakily. The sensation of unfiltered dread coursed through him as he remembered the darkness that had him trapped. It had felt like he spent an eternity in limbo. 

"Oh Credence," The man sighed sadly, rubbing a hand to his forehead before raking his fingers through auburn bangs. "I am so very sorry, I tried all of those days to talk you back but... you were so far gone. I was honestly becoming frightened that you would never wake up until you finally opened your eyes." The man adjusted into a cross-legged position in his chair before taking in a deep breath. "I am so relieved that you made it through that whole ordeal." 

Credence held his breath until his lungs cursed for oxygen. He inhaled a soothing gulp of air and placed the untouched soup onto the tray. His appetite was suddenly gone. "What happened to me?" 

The man beside him fiddled at the fabric of his charcoal colored trousers, eyes plastered back on the wall where they had been earlier. He fingered the fabric a moment longer before suddenly turning his body towards Credence, nervous green eyes flicking back to meet startled deep brown ones. 

"Credence, can you tell me how much you can remember?" 

When Credence opened his mouth to explain that he could only remember fuzzy fragments a loud stomping noise jerked both his and the man's attention to a set of steps beyond the curtained area and the woman clattering down them. She spoke through her entire descent.  
"Newt, I really wish you wouldn't hide out down here when you only have two days left in New York. You promised Queenie and me that you wouldn't. At this point I feel like you're avoiding-" Her sentence, and the scolding expression that she had been wearing, were cut short when her dark eyes fell upon Credence in the bed. He shifted anxiously beneath the blanket as her stare became wide-eyed and her mouth gaped so much so that Credence thought it was going to drop all the way down to the floor. 

"Good morning, Tina." Newt, that is what she had called him, chirped with a nervous half smile. "Tea?" Tina stumbled back to brace herself against the steps before yanking both of her hands to cover her mouth. After an uncomfortable amount of time had passed something similar to a croak left her throat. 

".......C-Credence?"

 

*****

**Author's Note:**

> I'll add more tags as the story progresses. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter!!   
> I will start working on chapter two later today :)


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